The Washington critic., 1887-11-23
TOPICS OF THE DAY.
Tho Strange Political Changes Of the
Past Seven Years.
SHADE TREES IN WASHINGTON
Governor Curtin's Last Great Speech
in the House OF Representatives.

Speaking OF shade trees In Washing
ton, General Boynton says, In recent
letter to the Cincinnati Commercial.
Gazette: There Is no collection of
trees anywhere In as good condition,
and no city In any land where as many
miles of streets, lin proportion to the
whole, are shaded. There are over
G3,C0O trees on the streets, many thou
sands more In the public grounds, and
n great number In private premises.
There are 100, 900 In various stages of
growth In the nursery of the Parking
Commission, and large number in the
nursery for the public grounds. The
planting began under the Shepherd
Board OF Public Works. 1t was hon.
est and thorough from the first, and 1t
is legacy worthy of universal grai
tude. From the beginning the i'm
provement has been In charge Of the
Parking Commission, composed of the
men who were first selected. AT It's
head Is Mr.. William II. Smith, the
Superintendent of the Botanical Gar.
dcns. lie has been the most active and
enthusiastic prosecutor of the work.
Associated with him, and thor.
oughly qualified for their duties have
been Mr.. VIM. r. Saunders, superin
tendent OF gardens and grounds of the
Agricultural Department, and Mr..
John SAUL local nurseryman. Mr..
Smith is Seotchman. After several
years apprenticeship In noted private
grounds abroad, he graduated at the
Kew Gardens. He came to this coun-
try, landing without acquaintance or
means In Philadelphia, and In walking
about the place on his way from the
ship he discovered the conscrvatorles
of a leading citizen and went In to
examine the collection. His talk led
TO temporary engagement and a
permanent offer. His employer having
been consulted about vacancy in the
Botanical Garden at Washington, of.
fered 1t to Mr.. Smith. 1t was accepted, +,
and soon after he was In full charge in
his present position. Other pilgrims
have brought marked forms Of civillza.
tion to these shores. Mr.. Smith came
with the civilization of tree culture.
-"
Some of the political events of the
past six or eight years are certainly
passing strange, says Colonel Ayres in
his last Washington letter to the Kansas
City Times. The Chicago Convention
of 1880, which nominated Garfield and
Arthur. was made up of very incon.
gruous elements. The central figure /,
were Mr.. Conkllng, spokesman for
General Grant; Mr.. Joy of Michigan,
for Mr.. Blaine, supplemented by Sena.
tor Frye of Maine, who idealized Mr..
Blaine as the pilot who brought the
imperiled ship of state safely into
port; Mr.. Garfield, who compared
John Sherman to the sea-god riding
the storm; Mr.. Billings of Vermont,
who eulogized Senator Edmunds, and
the small fry who did the amiable for
Messrs. Window and Washburne.
After thirty. six ballots, the choice and
subsequent election fell to Garfield and
Arthur, both delegates to the conven.
tion. General Logan was likewise q
delegate. A little over seven years
have passed, and meanwhile General
Grant, General Garfield, General
Arthur, General Logan and M.
Washburne have died and Mr.. Conk-
ling has been driven from political
life. Since then Mr.. Blaine
made stagger for the Presidency
and, happily for the country, failed to
reach the objective point. But for
"the unexpected" which happened at
that convention, most probably neither
Garfield nor Arthur would have passed
away, nor would Mr.. Conkling have
been self,expatriated from the Senate.
General Logan never recovered from
i'll health contracted during the cam.
paign Of 1880, which was further pre-
Cipita,ed by his labors as well as his
chagrin in the canvass of 1884, where
he was made to play an unwilling sec
ond fiddle to Mr.. Blaine. who snubbed
him continually. Garfield was assassi.
mated and Arthur died of broken
heart over his relcgation to private life
while Mr.. Conkling and Mr.. Blaine
still survive, the former pursuing the
even tenor of his way and the latter
still intriguing for the Presidency.
~
Says George Martin in the Philadel
phia Press: Governor Curtin Is likely
10 be missed in Washington more thar
any other retiring member of the STATE
Congressional delegation. The House
will not miss him, for In the last ses
sion after Mr.. Carlisle had hurt hi
feelings by refusing him the chairman
ship of the Foreign Affairs Committed
lie very rarely took any part In the pro
cCedings. lie used to come 10 late
look with very evident disgust on hi
seat near the rear door and then smoke
cigar on the sofa on the Democratic
side. After that he made momentary
reappearances, but was not In goot
talking humor until he reached tn,
small room at the CongIesslona
Hotel or the cosy back parlor a
Chamberlln's. His visits to the hote
were so regular that the room In whicl
he sat was called his committee room
and there, when business was dull II
the House, his old friends used t
gather and smoke and talk. His las
great speech was worthy of him. j
was 7 o'clock when he commenced
The House, which had been in con
tinuous session on the bill since noon
was excited over the argument, and
when he rose 10 close 1t, the member
left their desks and crowded the aisle
around him. lie was for Fii2 JohI
Porter and he talked of him as hi
friend, as man who believed In hi
honor and as one who had take
prominent part in all the events unde
discussion. lie never spoke with NOR
power and never made more intensel
interested audience. When he ende
he was chcered to the echo and Re
publicans and Democrats alike crowde
forward to shake his hand. Every
body seemed TO feel that 1t was til
old war Governors last great speech